Nowhere To Run
by muggleborn.dragon.ryder
Summary: Gru is happy, living with Margo, Edith and Agnes. But suddenly he is challenged by a new villain with bright red hair, a bad attitude and a deep grudge. But Gru has never seen her in his life! And certainly the girls had nothing to do with her! So why is she out for revenge for something they never did? And more problems are arising...
1. Chapter 1

"Will you play something with us?"

"What?" I glanced up from the book I was perusing and hardly taking in a word.

"Will you play something?" It was my youngest, Agnes – beautiful Agnes.

"Why not?" I said, putting the book down. "What did you have in mind, Agnes?"

"FREE-FOR-ALL!" The middle child, Edith, yelled, running into the living room. She was carrying a Nerf Gun, which I'd made the mistake of purchasing for them a few weeks ago, along with some foam darts.

I normally associated Nerf guns right up there with books like 'Sleepy Kittens': you shouldn't let little children have them, otherwise they'd drive you crazy.

I grabbed up a throw pillow and attempted to shield myself with it.

One of the darts hit my unnaturally long nose and stuck there.

Yanking if off, I dropped the pillow and said, "How many times have I told you not to play with the Nerf darts in the house? And DEFINITELY not to run! Go outside if you want to play!"

And right then going outside sounded like a great idea. Because flames suddenly curled around the doorway.

"Edith. Get Agnes out of here! Into the yard, both of you!"

Tiny Agnes, who still didn't understand the problem with flames, said, "Goody!" and allowed Edith to get her outside.

"Margo!" I called. "Margo!"

Faintly, I heard a cry of, "Dad!" and ran towards it, coughing from the thick smoke.

Margo was huddled in a corner crouching near the closet and I started forward with a cry of gratitude that she was ok.

But then sharper cries yells of fear came from both of us as the roof caved in, blocking me from her.

I tried going around the flames from the roof and hurriedly grabbed her up, struggling to unlatch the sliding glass door.

I made it and let the glass door stay open, thick steam pouring out into the morning air.

The roof caved in entirely as we ran for the yard.

How did the fire start? I wondered.

Flames don't just spring up, after all.

My name is Gru. This is the story of how my life turned upside down for a second time.

* * *

**A/N: No idea where this even came from. It just sorta...happened. I was watching Despicable Me and trying to think of a good direction to take for a fanfiction for it and this came up! **

**You'll find out everything in the next chapter. I just decided it'd be cool to show what's changed and how suddenly this came on. Enjoy!**


	2. Chapter 2

We stayed in a hotel until the house was rebuilt and we came back a few days later, examining what had been burned to a crisp.

The things that were utterly beyond repair or salvation I simply replaced.

It was nearly dinnertime by the time we got back, so I raided the newly stocked fridge and put some chicken on.

Supper was a very silent event, all four of us sitting there with nothing but chewing sounds.

I finally pushed my plate away and checked the time. Nearly eight o' clock.

I cleared the table and Margo jumped up to help while Edith and Agnes toddled off to play something.

I shooed Margo away and told her to go play with them. I needed to be alone right now.

Margo left and I washed the dishes and stacked them back in the cupboard, trying to sort out everything that was going on inside my mind.

When I was finished, it was almost nine, so I told the girls to go upstairs and that I'd be right up to read them a quick bedtime story.

Dr. Nefario still chewed me out for that. He thought I was going to quit villainy or some other nonsense.

When I finished reading them a bedtime story, I went to the lab to check on Dr. Nefario and the minions. This may seem strange, so let me warn you: a bunch of dim alien creatures and a genius can get into a lot of trouble together.

When it seemed they were fine, I sat in bed, knowing it was going to be an entirely sleepless, long night for me.

* * *

The next morning, I drove the girls to school.

"Be good and I'll be back for you at three o' clock."

The girls all waved and said their good byes to me as I drove off, thinking of everything that had happened.

When I got back, Dr. Nefario was in my lab, proudly showing off the latest contraption to all my minions.

"Look! A disappearing ray!" he said excitedly, and shot the closest minion, who disappeared entirely.

I personally thought that the name ought to be changed, but, well, with an evil mastermind like Nefario, you kind of gotta take the good and the bad.

I started walking over to them, and he shot in a random direction; and a boogie robot disappeared. "Like my new invention, Gru?" Dr. Nefario asked. "I had some spare time on my hands and you hadn't ordered me to create anything lately."

Then he said softly, "Gru?"

I sighed; I knew what was coming. "Yes, Nefario?"

"You're not gonna give up villainy, are you? Margo, Edith and Agnes—

"Are becoming a major distraction?" I asked. The corners of my lips quirked up.

He huffed. "Yes, they are!"

"Get used to them," I told him. "They're not going anywhere."

"Just don't spend all your time playing daddy to those girls. Remember, the minions need you, too."

"Fine. Whatever." I walked away from him.

* * *

"How's it going, girls?" I asked. I pulled up to the school and Margo, Edith and Agnes piled into my car.

Had I been paying attention, I would have noticed how Margo looked thoroughly shaken and Edith was unusually quiet.

"A nice lady offered to ride me home!" Agnes said.

I skidded to a stop. "What?"

"Gru." Margo said. "Focus on the road. Please."

"Right. Right." I nodded and then said, "So, what happened with the lady?"

"She offered to drive Agnes home," Margo said. "Not just her, all of us. And Agnes was about to get in the car."

"Oh, Agnes." My beautiful little girl didn't understand the concepts of stranger danger.

And now she had almost gotten into a car with a creepy old woman. "Was the woman very old? What did she look like?"

"Um, she had dark red hair and flat grey eyes." Margo said. "She was grinning at us and trying to be nice but she looked really…cold. Like she was incapable of feeling or something like that."

I took one hand off the wheel and clutched Margo's hand with it. "Listen, Agnes. You don't ever, EVER, EVER, get in a car with someone you don't know."

"Ok."

I sighed.

* * *

**A/N: It's rare that Gru has angst, but he did with Dr. Nefario right there. Did you catch that? LOL.**

**Anyway, I'm kinda thinking I want to change the title of this story. what do you think of 'A Thousand Sleepless Nights'? It just came to me when I was listening to my music and thinking of this story. It sounds familiar, like the title of a movie, but I don't know if it is or not. **


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Yes I know it's short. Really short. But the next will be longer.**

* * *

When the girls went to school the next day, I sent a minion after them to watch over the three.

Even though there was nothing I could do about it, and Kevin was now receiving a fifth-grade education, I nagged myself for how stupid I thought I was being.

People nearly got picked up by strangers all the time. And seeing as Agnes hadn't really gotten in that car, no harm done, right?

Wrong, that tiny, hateful voice in the back of my mind whispered.

If one of the girls got kidnapped by a stranger like that again it would shatter me.

Vector's little stunt in kidnapping them had shaken me so badly…

All at once, the familiar guilt rolled over me as I considered Vector kidnapping the girls. Actually, come to think of it, Vector had been abnormally quiet on the villainy front these days. Was he growing weary of the evil life?

Was he, like me playing with the idea of giving up villainy?

I hadn't heard from him since he'd ended up on the moon.

And rightfully so, I thought with a taste for revenge in my mouth. He had no right to go taking my little kittens.

I smiled, thinking of my kittens and drove away from the school.

Then my phone rang. When the I-phone 4 had come out I'd sprung for I-phones for the girls myself and Dr. Nefario.

Don't ask me how hegot in on it, but he did.

The text came from him, and it read: HELP.

Nothing else.

And seconds later, I was pressing over all kinds of speed limits to get back home.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: I am officially changing the title of this story to Nowhere to Run. **

**I like it better and it's not a complete mouthful like my last one. **

* * *

When I got there, I saw that the minions were in a panic and Nefario was nowhere.

Finally, I went down to the lab and saw Dr. Nefario, but I almost wished I had stayed upstairs.

Blood stained his lab coat a sickly red and he was passed out.

One of the minions explained everything in his complicated gibberish.

I swallowed as the story unfolded. A woman had broken in, a woman with long dark red hair.

She had held Dr. Nefario at gunpoint and asked where I was. Nefario had refused to tell her anything so she had shot him.

That may seem weird that the minions didn't defend the scientist but let me assure you they were probably panicking.

"Where?" I wet my dry lips with my tongue and slowly repeated the question.

The minion motioned towards his shoulder.

I winced.

* * *

I drove Nefario to the hospital and sat in the waiting room anxiously.

When Nefario woke up and I was allowed to see him, I spoke calmly. "Well, is good to see you back in game."

Dr. Nefario gave a very dry chuckle. "Gru, you sounded almost panicky. Good look for you."

I couldn't have my scientist thinking I gave a fig about his welfare, so I quickly replied, "Yeah, well who would design my inventions?"

Dr. Nefario grinned. "Wouldn't have any trouble finding anyone."

I smiled, then laid a hand on his crisp white sheets. "Are you ok?"

"Fine," Dr. Nefario said dismissively, but I could tell his shoulder hurt.

My phone buzzed again. Dreading what I'd find, I checked it to see a text from Margo.

"Where are you?"

I suddenly remembered it was nearly three twenty.

Cursing for forgetting, I leapt up.

Dr. Nefario looked slightly amused. "That's a word I've never heard YOU say before."

"Shut up," I snapped. "I got to get the girls. I'll take them home but I'll be right back, k?"

"Jeez, we're not a couple," he said happily.

I ran to the car and picked up the girls.

They seemed to have come back from yesterday fine, because they all seemed reasonably happy. Wishing to shelter instead of terrify them, I said, "Girls? I must go somewhere once I've dropped you all off. I'll be back before you go to bed."

I sensed them all exchanging curious glances.

"Where are you going?" Margo demanded.

"I…I…" Didn't have an answer. "Just somewhere."

"Gru?" Margo said skeptically.

I sighed. "Fine. Dr. Nefario got hurt in his work for me. I'm going to see him."

"Can we come with?" Edith asked.

Agnes nodded and Margo smiled at me.

I sighed. "Agnes, promise you won't get scared?"

"Pinky promise," she said solemnly, giving me her pinkie.

I swiftly turned and went down the lane to the hospital.

"Alright. We're here."

I cut the engine and the girls all stumbled out of the car and through the doors with me.

When I went in Dr. Nefario's room with the girls, he slowly (and reluctantly, I could tell) opened his eyes. "Gru," he said. His gaze rested on the girls and he said, "What were you thinking, bringing them here? If—

"They won't get scared." I told him, thinking before him. "They won't."

Nefario sighed. "Gru…" But all that was left was silence.

Looking over at him, I realized he was nearing sleep.

"Let's go, girls."

"Will he be okay?" Edith asked.

"He will be fine." I told them confidently, voicing a bravado I did not feel. People didn't die from a bullet wound in the shoulder, did they? Of course they didn't, I told myself.

So I went home with the girls and made them supper and did everything I should've.

And I gave them a short little bedtime story, like I did every night and kissed each of them good night and promised them Dr. Nefario was going to be just fine, and I went downstairs and saw my watch and saw that it was nearly eight.

Then I saw the minions and checked to see if they were alright after the day's events.

They seemed fine, and I told them Nefario would be among us again soon.

"Now good night, all of you." I finished and went back upstairs where I saw Margo sliding across the room, half-awake.

"Margo?" I said. "Are you…? What are you doing?"

"I was getting a drink of water," she replied. "I got thirsty."

I made her a quick glass of water and watched as she drank.

When she was finished, I tossed it in the sink and hugged her to me. "Are you alright?"

"Yes, Gru," she told me.

Then she broke away from the hug and rushed back upstairs, leaving me kneeling on the lonely, cold kitchen floor.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: So, short I know. But I really am gonna work on this one later, because I just read the movie novelization of Despicable Me 2. Other story ideas run amok in my head, but for right now, I'm trying to do this one while I'm still in a 'Despicable Me' kind of mood.**

**Anyway, I'm sorry it's so short, I'm just really not in a mood to write on this. I'm also working on another story for it and busily hating myself, LOL.**

* * *

Dr. Nefario got released from the hospital later that month and I tried to forget what had happened. There had been no sign of the red-headed woman, so I began to hope she'd been a figment of Dr. Nefario's and the minions' imaginations.

But even without the red-headed woman to worry about, one thing was perfectly clear: Dr. Nefario had gotten hurt in his work for me, and it was entirely my fault.

And if it wasn't the red-haired woman who had shot him…who had? The question remained, and it didn't get answered for such a long time that I began thinking nothing was going to happen. I began to relax, I let my guard down. And then I paid the price.

About two months after Nefario had gotten shot, I kissed the girls good night and walked out of their room. The next morning, when I got up, I began making them breakfast and called up the stairs, "Girls? Girls?" They're probably still asleep, I thought and I went upstairs to wake them. But when I got up there, the beds were empty.

"Girls? Girls?" I called, going down to the lab. "Girls? GIRLS?" They weren't there. There were only a few minions running around. No Nefario, either. "Girls?! NEFARIO?!"

Nothing. No answer. Alright. I took out my phone and dialed Nefario. "Nefario? Nefario?"

I imagined him taking his phone out of his lab coat pocket and answering…but no one was answering. "Please pick up…"

And then he did. "Mr. Gru?" It was not his deep voice, but higher. A woman's.

"Who is this? Where is my scientist? And _where_…where are my daughters?"


End file.
